Bone clamps



Jan. 3, 1961 P. A. FASOLINQ 2,966,907

BONE CLAMPS Filed Aug. 16, 1956 INVENTOR. PETE! A. FAsauA/a United States Patent 2,966,907 BONE CLAMPS Peter A. Fasolino, Buffalo, N. Y. (159 Sky-Hi Drive, Ebenezer, N .Y.)

Filed Aug. 16, 1956, Ser. No. 604,363

10 Claims. (Cl. 128-92) My invention relates in general to surgical appliances,

and in particular to bone clamps.

Heretofore, it has been common practice in the treatment of bone fractures to place a plate across the break and secure the plate in place by means of screws inserted in the bone. Such operation requires surgical skill of the highest order, and, where no infection is present, does no particular harm. However, in open or compound fractures, infection is always present, and screws cannot be inserted into the bone without carrying infection therein. Furthermore, where traction is necessary in the treatment of the broken bone and a plate is used, the pull is placed upon the screws, thus causing necrosis of the bone over the screws.

provide a device having a number of aligning plates provided with a clamp at the opposite ends thereof, whereby the device may be conveniently and quickly clamped upon the bone on each side of the fracture for keeping the bone fragments in alignment even under the condi tions of traction.

Furthermore, it has been an object to provide a device having clamp fastening means formed with ratchet teeth by which it is possible not only to tightly clasp the engaged bone structure, so necessary to proper alignment of the fractured bone, but by which the parts will be automatically locked in the required tight bone-embracing position.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. lis a plan view of one form of my device;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of device;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the form of invention in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another modified form of my invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, my device consists of a body 10 comprising a stationary longitudinal plate 11 having a clamp 12 carried at each end thereof.

Each clamp 12 comprises a stationary member 13 and a movable member 14. Each of said stationary members being integral with said adjustable longitudinal plate 11, and each of said movable members being formed with an inwardly extending arm 15 disposed substantially parallel to and in spaced relation to the stationary longitudinal plate 11. Each of these arms is preferably provided with -a substantially right angle leg 16 which extends toward and is pivotally secured to the stationary longitudinal plate 11, whereby the movable clamp members 14 may be moved toward and away from the stationary clamp members 13. A series of apertures 17 may by provided in the stationary longitudinal plate 11 whereby wire may be used to supplement the clamping action of the device. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the stationary and movable clamp members are each formed with an encircling arm 20 and 21, respectively, of a shape and size to substantially conform to the shape of the bone being treated. The arms 20 are connected together by means of a movable longitudinal plate 22 which is preferably pivotally attached at 23 to one of the movable members 14 and is pivotally and slidably attached to the opposite movable member preferably by means of a pivot pin 24 which is disposed in a slot 25 formed in the end of the associated movable member, whereby when the members are moved to open or close the clamp, the slot will permit unrestricted movement. The pivot pin and the rivets are preferably countersunk on the inside surfaces of the clamp members to permit the plates to be brought into intimate contact with the fractured bone. The arms 21 of the stationary members 13 are connected together by means of a fixed longitudinal plate 26 which may be secured at its end to the clamp members by a rivet (not shown) or by welding. The plates connecting the clamps are preferably flexible enough to conform to the longitudinal shape of the bone or so that they can be conformed to the bone by the surgeon by bending before being applied.

Each of the clamps 12 is provided with suitable ratchet means for latching the members thereof in closed position. Such clamping means may comprise a series of ratchet teeth 30 formed preferably on the stationary members 13 and engageable by means of a hook or catch 31 formed on the underside of the movable member 14. As the arms of the clamps are forced together when applying the device to a fractured bone, the catches 31 of the movable member will ride over the notches 30 of the stationary members and come to rest in locking engagement with a registering tooth when the device has been tightly clamped to the bone, thereby automatically securing the parts in clamping position, without the use of any additional fastening means. Thus, it will be seen that my device may be quickly applied in the least possible time to a fractured bone simply by forcing the clamp members toward each other and that such parts will upon application be locked in position. The teeth 30 are undercut so that when once engaged by the catch 31, the tension will keep the clamp members firmly engaged.

In the form of invention shown in Figs. 1-3, when the clamps are opened and are placed about the bone at each side of the fracture, the clamp members and the longitudinal plates may be brought to bear against the fractured ends of the bone to thereby align the parts thereof and to hold them in such position, the clamp fastening means serving to lock the device in firm engagement with the bone structure.

Referring now to the form of invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the clamps 32 are each formed of two bone embracing members 33 and 34 hinged together by means of a hinge 35. These members are circular in form and when closed and in engagement with the bone form a substantial circular enclosure. A series of teeth 36 are formed on each part 34 which are engaged by a latch or catch .48 formed at the end of each part 33. The parts 33 and 34 of the clamps are connected together by means of a series of plates 40, 41 and 42.

When the form of invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is to be used, the latching means is unfastened whereby the clamps may be opened and placed about the bone structure. Lateral pressure at both sides of the clamp members 33 and 3-4 will serve to bring the overlapping ends together and serve to latch and lock them in ad-. .justed position.

In the form of invention shown in Fig. 6, the body 43 of the device comprises a pair of body members 44 and 45 joining together in pivotal manner at 46 in the form of a scissors. A clamp 47 is carried at one end of the body of this form of invention, and a clamp 50 is carried at the opposite end thereof. The body member 44'carries a clamp member 52 at one end and a clamp member 51 at the opposite end. In like manner, the body member 45 carries a clamp member 54 at one end and a clamp member 53 at the opposite end thereof. The clamp members are formed with fastening means 55 of a nature similar to those hereinbefore described. The members 51-52 and 5354 of the clamps 47 and 50, respectively, are of curved shape as in the form of invention of Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, and they are spaced apart at their outer ends whereby they may be placed over the fractured bone. When the invention shown in this figure is to be used, the body members 44 and 45 are spread and the device is placed over the bone spanning the fracture thereof, after which the ends are pressed in firm engagement with the bone, the latching means serving to retain the clamps in adjusted position.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that the clamp members and longitudinal plates when in position will be located around the bone thereby spanning the fracture and aligning the ends of the bone thus maintaining them in registering positions. The plates will be maintained in such position by the embracement of the clamps at each end thereof.

While I have shown and described a clamp fastening means having a single toothed catch 31, it is obvious that the clamp members may be provided with a number of catches for simultaneous engagement with a number of ratchet teeth 30.

These and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A surgical appliance comprising a longitudinal body, an individual bone-embracing clamp carried at each end of said body, each clamp consisting of a number of adjustably arranged bone-embracing members, and resiliently engageable ratchet fastening means carried by said clamps for locking said clamp members together upon movement thereof to closed bone-engaging positions.

2. A surgical appliance comprising a longitudinal body, an individual bone-embracing clamp carried at each end of said body, each clamp consisting of a stationary bone-embracing member integral with said body, a movable bone-embracing member pivoted to said body and adjustable toward said stationary member, and ratchet fastening means carried by said clamps for looking said clamp members together upon movement thereof to closed bone-engaging positions.

3. A surgical appliance comprising a longitudinal body, an individual bone-embracing clamp carried at each end of said body, each clamp consisting of a stationary bone-embracing member integral with said body, a movable bone-embracing member pivoted to said body and adjustable toward said stationary member, a number of longitudinal plates connecting the members of said clamps, and ratchet fastening means carried by said clamps for locking said clamp members together upon movement thereof to closed bone-engaging positions.

4. A surgical appliance comprising a longitudinal body, an individual bone-embracing clamp carried at each end of said body, each clamp consisting of a stationary bone-embracing member integral with said body, a movable bone-embracing member pivoted to said body and adjustable toward said stationary member, a stationary longitudinal plate forming a part of said body, said plate having one of said bone-embracing members secured to each end thereof, a movable longitudinal plate pivotally secured at one end to one of said clamps and slidably attached to the other of said clamps, and fastening means carried by said clamps for locking said clamp members together upon movement thereof to closed bone-engaging positions.

5. A surgical appliance comprising a longitudinal body, an individual bone-embracing clamp carried at each end of said body, each clamp consisting of a stationary bone-embracing member integral with said body, a movable bone-embracing member pivoted to said body and adjustable toward said stationary member, a stationary longitudinal plate forming a part of said body, said plate having one of said clamps secured to each end thereof, a movable longitudinal plate pivotally secured at one end of said clamps and slidably attached to the other of said clamps, and ratchet fastening means carried by said clamps for locking said clamp members together upon movement thereof to closed bone-engaging positions.

6. A surgical appliance comprising a longitudinal body, an individual bone-embracing clamp carried at each end of said body, each clamp consisting of two cooperating bone-embracing members, one of said members being formed with a series of ratchet teeth, the other member being formed with a catch for movement over said teeth as said clamp is closed and for automatic locking engagement with the engaged tooth when said clamp has been moved to the final bone-embracing position, and plate members secured to said clamps to hold them in spaced relation.

7. A surgical appliance comprising a longitudinal body, an individual bone-embracing clamp carried at each end of said body, each clamp consisting of a stationary bone-embracing member integral with said body, a movable bone-embracing member pivoted to said body and adjustable toward said stationary member, a number of flexible longitudinal plates connecting the members of said clamps and conformable to the longitudinal shape of the bone, and ratchet fastening means carried by said clamps for locking said clamp members together upon movement thereof to closed bone-engaging positions.

8. A surgical appliance comprising a longitudinal body member, an individual two-part bone-engaging clamp disposed at each end of said body member, one part of each of said clamps being carried by said body member, the other part of each said clamps being carried by a member pivotally attached to said body member and movable in a plane substantially parallel with the major axis of said body member, and ratchet fastening means carried by said clamps for locking said clamp parts together upon movement thereof to closed body engaging positions.

9. A surgical appliance having a body comprising of a main bone-aligning plate, auxiliary bone-aligning plates substantially parallel to said main plate, an adjustable arm pivotally carried near each end of said main plate, a bi-member bone-engaging clamp near each end of said body, one of said clamp members being integral with said main plate, the other of said clamp members being carried by said adjusting arm, and said clamp members being formed on their engaging surfaces with atchet teeth, whereby said clamps will be locked in position upon clamping engagement with the bone.

10. A surgical appliance having a body comprising of a main bone-aligning plate, auxiliary bone-aligning plates substantially parallel to said main plate, an L- shaped adjusting arm having an outer leg and an inner leg, said inner leg being pivotally attached to said main plate, a bi-member bone-engaging clamp near each end of said body, one of said clamp members being integral with said main plate, the other said clamp members being carried by the outer leg of said adjusting arm, and said clamp members being formed on their engaging surfaces with ratchet teeth, whereby said clamps will be 5 locked in position upon clamping engagement with the FOREIGN PATENTS 867,422 Germany Feb. 16, 1953 References Cited in the file of this patent OTHER REFERENCES UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Thornton: Treatment of Trochanteric Fractures, 447,761 Clough Mar. 10, 1891 Piedmont Hospital Bulletin, vol. 10, 1937. Pages 21-27 1,156,440 Smith Oct. 12, 1915 (page 24 relied on). (Available in Div. 55.) 

